Concerts, film
Orchestre Les Mangelepa | Newen Afrobeat
8.30 pm Orchestre Les Mangelepa
10 pm Congo River – Beyond Darkness (film)
Open-air on the roof terrace
The elder statesmen of East African Rumba: Founded 40 years ago in Kenya by Congolese exiles, the Orchestre released hit after hit over the following decades, taking the dance floors by storm from Uganda to Zambia. People loved their elegant music and their equally elegant clothes. Later they fell into obscurity, reduced to playing once a week in a small bar in Nairobi. But now they are back—one of the last bands still playing the classic sound which sets every dance floor moving.
Newen Afrobeat
Unchained energy: Newen Afrobeat play the original Afrobeat, as decisively shaped by Fela Kuti in the 1970s, and have also shared the stage with Tony Allen and Kuti’s sons Femi and Seun. Like the original, their danceable party sound comes with a good dose of social critique. The 14-person formation dazzle with their energy, precision, and traces of the music of their native Chile. Live, the three front women, with their strong presence, duel with the five-person brass section. Truly infectious!
